James's Lament
by KatherineGrace79
Summary: AU. James Potter watches from the afterlife as his daughter goes through the motions of life. Sirius/OC. James/OC.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything affiliated with it James's Lament 

_July 31__st__ 1980_

She was a surprise. Not the fact that she was a baby and I had known that she was coming for nearing on eight months but the fact that she was, indeed, a _she_. Lily and I had both been told that we were having a boy and so had decorated the nursery accordingly, had only thought of names for boys – Harry James we were going to call him – and had named Sirius Godfather. I don't know whether the latter I would come to regret when I saw what happened nearly 17 years later between them or just happy that she was being looked after.

Anyway, I was greeting my daughter rather than my son as I had expected. She was the first natural born Potter girl since the Potter line had started, not that I told Lily that then. She was too busy crying delightedly as she held our daughter. I had prepared for a son. I could bond with a son. Teach him to play Quidditch, talk to him about girls, teach him to be a man…I couldn't do that with a daughter. Sudden images of her grown up filled my mind, her dating and kissing boys and my insides gave a queasy turn.

Then there was the small factor of the prophecy that had been looming over our heads. Would the fact that she was a girl mean that Voldemort went for the Longbottoms? The prophecy did say that _he would have power_…and I am definitely certain that my baby isn't a he. As Lily passed her gently to me, I realised all my fears didn't matter. She was mine and Merlin! She was absolutely gorgeous. Soft, tufty black hair and already bright green eyes like her mother. She was going to be a stunner when she was older. I just hoped I'd be around to threaten any future boyfriends of hers. Not that she would be dating though. Not until she was at least 50.

_October 31__st__ 1980_

We had named her Isabelle. Isabelle Matilda Potter. Isabelle after Lily's mother and Matilda after my grandmother. We had named Sirius Godfather to her and he doted upon her and spoilt her rotten. She loved her uncle _Pa_. She was only three months old and could only make sounds but that didn't matter as it was her first Hallowe'en and Lily had insisted on having a Hallowe'en party. Friends from school and work came over and cooed over Belle, who shied away from the attention in either my arms, her mother's or Sirius's. She had this habit of turning her face into our chests and trying to clutch at our clothes with our fists when she didn't like the attention. Later in her life, most people thought she didn't like attention because of her scar but she had never been an attention seeking baby.

Lily, to my horror, had dressed her up. Thankfully it hadn't been a pumpkin and she did look adorable dressed up as a little witch but still…Remus had been there that night, looking tired but Belle had clung to him for most of the evening, sucking her little thumb as Remus held her blissfully. Those two got on, which was hardly a surprise as I believed that she would inherit her mother's studious nature, and when they met again when she was 13, they would get along again. Remus adored Belle and was always buying her little presents with what little money he had. I had felt uncomfortable that he was buying her presents when he could barely afford to eat but he shrugged off my concerns saying that he liked spoiling her and she did enjoy his presents. They were normally something educational and she could already distinguish colours. I didn't know if that was normal or not but it seemed good.

Peter was also there that night. The one thing Belle never did was go over to Peter willingly. She sensed that there was something off about him straight away and she used to scream bloody murder whenever she was passed to him. She would only settle down when someone had hurriedly taken from her from his arms. She knew before all of us. Sirius joked to her sometime later when she was much older that even before the scar on her head she could sense dark magic. She had just rolled her eyes at him.

That was our first and last peaceful Hallowe'en together. Who knew that in a year's time, everything would be ripped away from us and life would be irrevocably changed for everyone?

_October 31__st__ 1981_

I knew I was dead the moment I saw Voldemort enter my house and I feared that Lily would soon join me. It was agonising as I lingered somewhere between life and death waiting to see what would happen. I prayed that Lily and Belle would survive but, even though Lily was a powerful witch, Voldemort was stronger. My fears were confirmed when Lily materialised next to me and I felt a heart-wrenching pull of guilt. She had never wanted this. She had never wanted to fight and she had never wanted to glory of fighting like Sirius and I. She had wanted a family. Somewhere she could call her own. I tried to give her that but I failed. She grasped my hand as we waited, waited to see whether our daughter survived or joined us. She was only fifteen months old. There was no logical reason for her to survive but she did. Lily's sacrifice had ensured that she had survived, but that she had survived alone and without her parents.

I watched as Sirius landed outside our house on his flying motorbike and fell to his knees in horror. My best friend…my brother…who the world believed to be our secret keeper. I watched as he sobbed over my dead body, tenderly straightening my glasses before he proceeded through the house, yelling out for Lily when he stumbled upon her in the nursery. His entire body slumped as he knelt next to her and brushed her blood red hair from her face, silent tears trickling down his face. He whispered an agonising sorry to her before the most delightful sound filled his ears.

_Pafoo!_

His head snapped around so fast that I winced. His dark eyes settled on Belle in her cot, large eyes filled with tears. He stared at her in disbelief and he quickly scooped her up into his arms. He used the sleeve of his jumper to clean the blood from her forehead where he saw her lightening bolt scar. He stared at her in horror before cradling her against him and reluctantly leaving Lily and I in the house.

I could see what was going through his head as he handed Belle over to Hagrid with his flying motorbike and watched them leave in the air. I had seen that look on his face once too often and I knew that he was going to hunt down Peter Pettigrew and kill him for his betrayal. I wanted to yell out and tell him to not be stupid, that my daughter needed him but nothing could get through to him. Lily leaned her head against my chest and let out a shaky breath.

Belle was alone now, something we had never wanted for her and we watched as Albus Dumbledore set her very gently and tenderly down on the porch of Lily's sister's home. She wouldn't be happy there or loved but she would be safe. At that moment, I didn't know what was more important.

_July 31__st__ 1981_

She was eleven. To my surprise and delight, she had grown up normal and unselfish, compared to her oaf of a cousin. It will always remain a mystery to me how Lily and Petunia could be even distantly related let alone sisters. Their children were exactly the same. Dudley, spoilt and bratty; Belle, kind and compassionate. It broke my heart to see her birthday forgotten purposefully every year and how she never received any present at Christmas and how she was made to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs. It broke my heart to see her believe that how she was treated was completely normal. Lily had been trying to haunt her sister but she was to kind to scare even Petunia so we had to watch our daughter grow up without us.

When Hagrid broke that door down to the sea hut in the first minute of Belle's eleventh birthday, I cheered. She bravely stepped out to face him and stared at the birthday cake he had given her with barely repressed delight as she remained faultlessly polite. He told her all about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and I saw something click within her. All the odd incidents that she had made happen, the latest of witch still made me chuckle when I thought about it, suddenly made sense to her. Then the truth about how we hadn't died in a car crash came out but had been murdered. Her little face broke my heart all over again. The thought of someone wanting to harm us, who she dreamt about every night, hurt her.

Her face when she entered Diagon Alley for the first time was something that will always stay with me. She was like a little child in a candy shop as she kept looking around. Of course, even that day was marred by the truth of her fame that had taken her by surprise. She listened to Hagrid tell her about Voldemort and how we had really died and she just listened patiently, absorbing the truth. It must have been then that she realised even for a witch, she wasn't normal.

_May 29__th__ 1992_

It was only a Potter who could get so much packed into their first year at Hogwarts. Youngest Seeker in a century, battling a fully grown mountain troll to save a fellow first year and the girl who would become a sister to her, accepting a wizard's duel from a Malfoy, escaping from a three-headed dog named Fluffy, smuggling a baby dragon out of the castle, discovering the mirror of Erised and seeing us for the first time, finding out about the Philosopher's Stone, fighting her way through all of the trials before finally meeting Voldemort on the other end and surviving. To say that I was proud of her would be an understatement. She was truly amazing. She did it all without any thought of a reward and she did it instinctually.

Not to mention the fact that she was a Gryffindor. Seeing her survive all that and bounce back made me proud to be her father and proud that, even though Lily and I weren't there to help her, she pulled through anyway with the help of her friends.

_June 2__nd__ 1993_

I was beginning to see a pattern as I watched Belle slam the sword of Godric Gryffindor up into the open mouth of a 100ft basilisk that was trying to kill her. She had gone down into the Chamber of Secrets to save her best friend's baby sister and had faced the sixteen-year-old Lord Voldemort, discovering more about her enemy that before. Even when Tom Riddle was gone and little Ginny Weasley was awake, she had been bitten by the basilisk and the poison had leaked into her blood. She could feel herself dying but even then, she had told Ginny to go. Ron was waiting for her. Her death didn't matter as long as Ginny got to safety. Thankfully, Fawkes was around to save the day and both Ginny and Belle lived.

I laughed when Belle ran after Lucius Malfoy and handed him back the diary that he had planted in Ginny's cauldron in Diagon Alley and told him that she would always be there to save the day. It made me even happier when Malfoy thrust the diary into Dobby the house elf's hands and Belle motioned for him to open it, revealing her Gryffindor tie folded up inside of it. She had tricked Malfoy into setting his house elf free and when Dobby disappeared, she walked away with a grin on her face, covered in dirt and blood. That was my girl.

_June 18__th__ 1994_

Sirius and Belle were reunited. I watched as Belle learnt about Sirius, believed him to be our betrayer, discovered he was her Godfather and eventually saved him from a fate worse than death. That year, she also met Remus again he helped her learn the Patronus charm, gently coaxing her and guiding her from afar, even when he confiscated the Marauder's Map from her and pulled the guilt trip on her. _Your parents died to keep you safe, Isabelle, is this how you repay them?_ She willingly handed the map over to him at that point.

She found out that Remus was a werewolf and accepted him straight away, even asking him whether he really had to leave his teaching position. She had given him a hug and told him that he was the best teacher they had ever had before standing next to Dumbledore and watching as his carriage pulled away. Every year I kept getting prouder of my daughter and I knew that Lily and I really did live on through her. Her Patronus was a testament to that. Lily had had a hard time stopping me gloating about the fact that her Patronus was a stag, not a doe. I was relieved when that year at Hogwarts came to a close. Sirius was back in her life. He would protect her.

_June 24__th__ 1995_

Lord Voldemort was back. Belle had fought him and survived him, coming back to Hogwarts clutching the dead body of a student. We had been able to talk with her that night, when her and Voldemort's wands connected. For the first time, we had been able to help her and give her time to escape as we distracted Voldemort. She was so lost and confused that night. Lily choked on a sob as Molly Weasley gave her the hug that Lily longed to give her and she sank into her embrace before Hermione broke it by accident.

Sirius had been there for her that night as well and he had gathered her up safely into his arms. She leant against him, eyes closed, one hand woven into his shirt as she drew in a deep breath. I was reminded of her as a baby when she used to do that to meet. Just breathe deeply against me as if memorising my scent. Sirius held her for as long as she needed it, despite the awkward position he was standing in, stroking her black hair gently as he kept her safe and away from the outside world that wanted to hurt her. Eventually though, he had to leave and he kissed her forehead before leaving her in the capable hands of Molly Weasley. It pleased both Lily and I that despite our deaths, she had still managed to find family that would protect her and love her. Molly treated her like one of her own. All she needed was Lily's red hair and nobody would be able to tell her apart from a Weasley.

My daughter grew up to fast that night and there was nothing anyone could do to stop what was coming.

_June 14__th__ 1996_

Voldemort was out in the open now, thanks to Belle and her friends. She had risked everything to rescue Sirius from Voldemort's clutches, only to discover that she had been tricked. Her mind changed tracks so quickly it was startling. Her priorities had shifted from saving Sirius to get her friends out of their alive and unharmed. I wouldn't have chosen the people that went with her but they did her teaching proud. Hermione and Ron, I definitely would have chosen, she needed them whether she realised it or not yet; Ginny, possibly…the girl reminded me of Lily; Neville and Luna though, that was bizarre. Belle saw something of herself in Luna though and Luna helped her. Neville was also courageous, like his father and they both proved themselves that night and in the events that followed.

For a moment, I truly believed that Sirius was going to topple through the Veiled Archway and he would have done, had Belle not vaulted out from behind her rock, slipped through Remus's outstretched hands and rugby tackled Sirius away from the archway. They landed with a thud but Sirius was alive and unconscious, but alive. Bellatrix did not like that in the slightest. She ran for the exit and Belle, whether it was anger that she had tried to kill her Godfather or because she just didn't want to let the lead death eater get away, ran after her. She ignored Remus's yells and Dumbledore's arms as he tried to grab her, she ran after Bellatrix.

She tried to use the Cruciatus curse but Belle was too good for that. It didn't work and Bellatrix laughed and taunted her before Voldemort arrived. She drew herself up to her full height, lifted her chin defiantly and raised her wand, ready to fight. Problem was, Voldemort was stronger and crueller than Belle was. He flung her back against the St. Mungo's fountain and she slid down beneath the water before hauling herself out of it, shaking her wet hair from her face. She managed a decent shield charm that stopped her from dying before throwing herself out of the way of the killing curse when Dumbledore came to save the day.

There were no fatalities that night, except for the last of Belle's innocence. We watched her rave at Dumbledore, destroying his office in a fit of anger before finally listening to what he should have told her years ago. She absorbed the prophecy in much the same way as she had absorbed the information of our deaths nearly six years before. She left his office in a tense silence, not apologising for her behaviour as she walked up to the hospital wing to check on her friends and Sirius, whose name had been cleared only an hour before, thanks to Dumbledore's influence in the Ministry.

She sat by his bedside, holding his hand as she waited for him to wake up to tell him his good news whilst she brooded.

_June 28__th__ 1997_

Dumbledore was dead. He had been here to see us before he went about his business. Belle had witnessed his death at Snape's hand and had tried to avenge his death but Snape was quicker than my daughter. It was agonising watching her tell the Hospital Wing that Dumbledore was dead. McGonagall had uncharacteristically collapsed into a chair with a whimper whilst Belle walked smoothly over to the window, hands behind her back as she stared out into the darkness, the locket clasped in one hand.

She listened as Molly and Fleur came to some sort of understanding and only turned around when Tonks flew at Remus. I knew that she believed Tonks to be in love with Sirius for most of the year and her eyebrows raised in surprise as Tonks hit Remus's chest again and again, telling him that she loved him and didn't care that he thought he was too old or too poor or a werewolf to ever give her a life. I could see relief in her eyes as she watched them. Relieved that it wasn't Sirius who she loved. She told Remus to stop being an idiot and to get the girl. Dumbledore would have wanted that little bit more love and happiness in the world, especially on the night of his death. It was what Dumbledore was about after all…_love_. Her eyes flickered over to Sirius briefly there.

Sirius really was back in his prime. He cleaned up nicely and was as handsome as he had been when he went to Azkaban and Belle had clearly noticed. I hoped that it was just a crush, not that it mattered. Belle was far too sensible to even think of love at a time when her mind was desperately needed elsewhere. She left the hospital wing with McGonagall, brushing her hand over Sirius's arm as she left and he smiled weakly at her. He had been injured in the attack on Hogwarts, not badly but bad enough to earn him a bed in Poppy's hospital. Unfortunately for them all the worst was yet to come.

_July 31__st__ 1997_

Belle's seventeenth birthday was a family affair and she appeared to be in high spirits as Fleur and Bill's wedding was the next day. Fleur had asked her to be her Maid of Honour the previous summer and Belle had agreed to it then. All of her friends were gathered around her. Remus and his new wife, Tonks, close by, Sirius laughing with Charlie Weasley and Hagrid and her laughing about their first meeting six years before. It all went without a hitch until the Minister for Magic showed up and Remus and Tonks had to leave quickly due to the stance against werewolves.

I am continually proud with the way that Belle keeps standing up to authority and that she knows her own mind. She knows the difference between right and wrong and won't hesitate to shoot down the most powerful man in the Ministry if she believes he's wrong. She also won't hesitate to fight full out with him, raising her voice – which was a very rare occurrence – Ron and Hermione flanking her protectively.

She was lingering outside after the end of the party and everybody was in bed for the wedding tomorrow when Sirius found her. He had been making sure that everything was secure when he stumbled across her sitting outside on the bench by the wall, knees drawn up to her chest as she looked up at the stars. She smiled radiantly at him, inviting him to join her. I should have known when I found out that Belle was a girl that Sirius should not have been her godfather. I should have made Remus her godfather instead. It would make what happened next between them that little bit…normal.

Lily had, of course, seen it coming for a while but that didn't make it any easier for either of us to watch as Belle pressed her lips to Sirius's, taking him by surprise as his hands flew to her shoulders. He didn't know what to do, which was ironic considering his reputation at Hogwarts, and he gently pushed Belle away from him but what Belle wanted, Belle got. She held the collar of his shirt, preventing his escape from her, and told him very precisely that if she was going to die tomorrow, which was very likely, then she didn't want to die without doing _that_ with him. I wanted to stop listening.

Unfortunately, despite Sirius's willpower, he had very little willpower against beautiful women and Belle was the most beautiful of them all. She knew exactly what to do to make him incoherent and make him react to her. I could see him struggling, knowing that he shouldn't be letting her touch him and kiss him but his resolve eventually caved in and he kissed her hard and passionately and until she couldn't breathe anymore. It was harder to see my little girl kissing someone than it was seeing her fight for her life.

_December 14__th__ 1997_

Belle was alone in the tent. Ron and Hermione had had to leave her to carry on alone after Ron was seriously injured in an attack they had barely escaped from. Belle had told Hermione to take Ron and to keep him alive, she could go on alone. Hermione was torn between loyalty to her best friend and loyalty to the man she loved. Belle took the decision out of her hands by grabbing both of their shoulders and apparating them to Bill and Fleur's house before apparating away again before anyone could see her.

It was there that she and Sirius stumbled upon each other again. He had been running from the death eaters after he had spoken Voldemort's name aloud, breaking the taboo and Belle had thought he was a death eater. She had nearly slit his throat with the knife that she carried strapped to her thigh. After interrogating him roughly for half an hour, she believed that he was who he said he was and let him into her tent. It was obvious to me that she was happy to see him again, even if she didn't show it.

She still didn't tell him what she was doing and slapped his hand away from the books that she had left lying around. She told him that in the morning, he could apparate to Bill and Fleur's house where he would find Ron and Hermione. She kept shooting him down when he told her he wasn't leaving her and a full blown argument broke out between them that ended up with Belle kissing him again and him pulling her shirt off over her head.

In the morning, Belle was gone. She had left Sirius under the protection of multiple spells and he had no choice but to apparate to Bill and Fleur's, the scent and warmth of her still on him.

_May 1__st__ 1998_

Breaking in and out of Gringotts was one of the most incredible things that I had ever seen. She, Ron and Hermione had broken out on the back of a blind dragon that sent marble flying everywhere, Helga Hufflepuff's cup clasped in her hand. The end was close. Everyone could feel it. It was only a matter of hours before Belle made her final confrontation with Voldemort. It was only a matter of hours before we could be reunited with her.

She entered the castle at a run after listening to Aberforth's story of his brother and had reunited with the DA. Taking Luna, she had run up to the Ravenclaw tower under her invisibility cloak to see what the diadem of Ravenclaw looked like. That was where everything kicked off. She met McGonagall again, shielded Luna as McGonagall and Snape fought and raced through the halls, tearing past confused, pyjama-clad students to get back to the Room of Requirement, where members of the Order of the Phoenix had joined the fight.

Sirius was there and her eyes sought his out before skimming over the rest of the fighters. The Weasley's were there; Remus – his son, Teddy, whom Belle was the proud godmother of – was there without Tonks, who stayed with Teddy. To everyone's surprise, Percy Weasley fell through the hole in the wall and reunited with his family to fight against Voldemort. To Belle's confusion though, Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be seen and Belle practically threw everyone out of the Room to transform it into what she needed.

She found Ravenclaw's diadem and eventually stumbled upon Ron and Hermione, who chose that time to admit their feelings for each other. It threw Belle off for a moment as she watched them before yelling at them to remind them they were in the middle of a war. With only one Horcrux left to deal with, Nagini, Belle made her way to the Great Hall with her loyal friends to take charge of the defence against Voldemort.

_May 2__nd__ 1998_

I never wanted my daughter to be a warrior. I wanted her to be a teacher or a healer or even an Auror if she wanted but I never wanted her to lead troops into battle. Killing Nagini was the first thing she did, much to her satisfaction, the sword of Gryffindor where it belonged, in her hands. People were falling around her and she couldn't see Voldemort anywhere. They were forced back into the castle because of the giants feet and blood flowed as Belle fought her way through the crowd, the sword moving cleanly as she went. She had to get to Voldemort to do what she had been destined to do ever since Lily had given her life for her.

_06:39am_

She had done it and survived but at great cost. With every step she took, I could see the pain of Fred, Remus and Tonks's deaths. Her mind was whirling as she tried to seek out a place of solitude to grieve her fallen friends and try to understand how she had survived. Sirius was there, arm around her as he led her to a secret place that we had found in our last year at Hogwarts.

She clung to him as she cried. Cried for me and Lily. Cried for Fred and the Weasley's who would never be whole again. Cried for Remus and Tonks who would never see their son grow up. Cried for Teddy who would never know his brave parents like her. She just cried and cried and cried and she couldn't stop even if she wanted to. She exhausted herself eventually and just collapsed weakly against Sirius, trusting him enough to protect her and keep her warm and safe.

She curled up against him and slept peacefully for the first time in years, the man she loved keeping her safe.

_August 16__th__ 2000_

It was a bittersweet day. My 20-year-old daughter was getting married and I wasn't there to give her away. She looked absolutely beautiful in the wedding dress that had been Lily's. Her black hair was elegantly looped up and pinned onto her head by Hermione's dedicated hand and she had chosen to wear contacts for the day instead of her glasses, a rich layer of red lipstick on her lips as she wore the charm bracelet that Molly had given to her as her something borrowed. The dress was something old, her necklace was something new, the bracelet was something borrowed and the garter she had on was something blue. Lily hadn't been able to stop crying all morning as we watched her get ready for her wedding day.

Ron was giving her away. I had always imagined that Sirius would be the one to give her away in my stead but as he was the groom that was impossible. I was happy that it was Ron. Ron was her brother in everyway that mattered and he was one of the most important men in her life. Hermione was to be the only bridesmaid as it was going to be a small wedding with only the Weasley's, Andromeda, Teddy, Neville, Luna, Hagrid, McGonagall and Kingsley in attendance. She hadn't wanted a big wedding and so the guest list had been kept small with only the people that they were the closest to there. There was a small, decorated table with pictures of people who should be there but couldn't be. Fred was grinning widely from his frame; Moody was looking moody in his; Dumbledore looked excited in his; Remus and Tonks waved out from theirs; even Snape was there, much to Sirius's disgust; but the one picture that took prominence was of Lily and I. Even in the picture, Lily was crying.

"You okay, Belle?" Hermione asked Belle as I looked on and Belle nodded slowly.

"I just…I wish my parents were here to see this." She whispered sadly, sending Lily into a fresh wave of tears and my own eyes to cloud over.

"What makes you think they're not?" Hermione replied, kissing her cheek and Belle smiled at her.

_November 15__th__ 2002_

I was am grandfather! Belle gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy in the early hours of the morning. Lily had been in a flustered state ever since Belle's waters broke the previous day during breakfast with Sirius. I did feel for Belle. A 22 hour labour could not have been pleasant but she only started really feeling the pain towards the end. Her and Sirius had refrained from knowing the sex of the child after Sirius had told her what happened with her birth and Sirius had nearly passed out when he realised that he had a son. Belle had laughed delightedly before collapsing back on her bed weakly as Hermione, who had delivered the child, wrapped him up in a soft blanket, weighing him before leaving to inform the rest of the family the good news. Asides from Bill and Fleur, who had had a daughter precisely a year after the war had ended, Belle was the only person to introduce a new life into the family.

Everyone gathered around her bed, cooing over the gorgeous baby. Belle asked Ron and Hermione to be godparents without missing a beat and they agreed instantly, tears in Hermione's eyes. Molly was to be the proud surrogate grandmother and she held her second grandchild, her first grandson, in her arms as tears ran down her ageing face. Teddy climbed up onto the bed next to his godmother, who spoilt him rotten and made sure he knew about his parents. Remus and Tonks appeared next to us, watching silently as Fred, Albus and even Snape appeared to see the new baby. He had his mother's hair but his father's dark blue eyes. He would be the spitting image of his father when he was older.

"Do we have a name yet?" Ginny asked with a smile as she held the little boy in her arms and I leant forwards.

"James." Belle answered and my heart swelled. "It's always been James. James Arthur Potter, after both of his grandfather's."

I couldn't breathe for the happiness I felt having my first grandson named after me.

_February 6__th__ 2004_

She had given birth to another son, a beautiful little boy who had inherited his mother's and grandmother's eyes. The usual crowd was there, watching as the new Black was passed around lovingly. This time, seven-year-old Teddy was joined by two-year-old James on Belle's bed, cuddled into her side. Andromeda wasn't there, having died only a year earlier but she was watching alongside myself and the others. Sirius asked George to be his godfather and the surviving Weasley twin accepted readily.

"What's his name?" Hermione asked, heavily pregnant with her first child. We all leaned forwards curiously.

"Albus." Belle answered without missing a beat. "Albus Severus. After two of the bravest men I know."

Sirius looked distinctly unhappy about the choice of middle name but he wisely kept his mouth shut. I was prone to agree. Snape on the other hand looked oddly touched. It was disgusting.

_30__th__ January 2006_

I had a granddaughter and god was she gorgeous. She was going to be the spitting image of her mother when she was older, except for her eyes; she had her father's eyes. Belle was cradling her tenderly in her arms, almost exactly like Lily had been with her, as her family talked around her. She seemed positively elated to have a daughter and she let her sons peer over at her, waving Teddy over to join them.

"What's she called, mummy?" James asked as he looked down at his sister curiously and once again, we all leaned forwards.

"Lily, after grandma Lily." Belle answered with a smile. Besides me, my wife burst into fresh waves of tears. "Lily Molly Black."

That's my girl.

_September 31__st__ 2032_

It's bizarre seeing Belle at 52, still as beautiful as ever though. Her hair was greying and she had lines on her face, mainly around her eyes and mouth but she was still as energetic as ever, Sirius – 20 years her senior – had trouble keeping up with her at some points. She had been head Auror for near on 30 years now, had her second grandchild coming courtesy of James and his wife, Alice – Neville's daughter, which had come as a surprise to us all.

Albus had married his long term lover, Rose Weasley – Ron and Hermione's daughter – only two years before and Lily was engaged to Scorpius Malfoy – Draco's son. Her comfortable home with Sirius was empty apart from her and her husband, and a very old Kreacher, who had refused to part from Belle after the war had ended. They spent their time together blissfully and I imagined that it was how Lily and I would have spent our days. She occasionally looked after Remus, Teddy and Victoire's son, whenever she could but otherwise spent her time at work or with her beloved husband.

I didn't have to watch over her as much as I had used to but I still enjoyed looking in on her every now and then.

_May 14__th__ 2057_

When Belle laid her husband of 57 years into the ground, she shed a single tear, surrounded by her friends, godchildren, children and grandchildren. She remained by Sirius's grave for a long time until Albus came to get her to take her inside. Belle looked much older now, her hair almost white. She looked like a female version of Albus when he was headmaster, a role which she had taken over with glee. She was the most popular headmaster of Hogwarts since Albus Dumbledore himself and she nurtured each and everyone of her students gently and carefully. She had a strict hiring policy as well when it came to her teachers, especially in Defence Against the Dark Arts. She had actually hired Teddy some years back to teach the subject and he had proven to be just a big a hit as his father had been.

It didn't take long for Sirius to materialise next to us. He had died peacefully in his sleep, Belle next to him, her hand on his chest as it had always been. He looked like he had in his prime. Youthful and exuberant. He tackled me and Remus to the ground, scooped Lily gleefully up in his arm, twirling her around before greeting his other friends. He even shook Snape's hand civilly. Belle had been the catalyst that had made him see Snape as a hero, not a villain. His happiness at seeing us again disappeared when he realised that he wasn't with Belle and his shoulders slumped as he watched his beloved wife and his three children and his twelve grandchildren. I rested my hand on his shoulder and he looked to me, suddenly fearful as he realised that he had married my daughter and had children and grandchildren with her.

_Thank you_ I say and I mean it. _You made Isabelle so happy. Thank you_.

I pulled him into a brotherly hug and he sagged against me as we turned back to watching Belle. Teddy was behind her, his hands on her shoulders reassuringly, supportingly. Remus beamed at his middle-aged son whose own son and daughter were now nearing or in their twenties. Remus and Nymphadora – known fondly to everyone as Nymph or Dora. James hovered by his mother's side, Alice drying her eyes as their teenage children, Matilda, Molly and Orion, grieved with their cousins. Albus's children, Sirius II, Isabelle and Severus were trying to be strong for their grieving father. Lily's children, Draco, Thomas and Isabelle – known to everyone as Kat – were seated with their father.

"James, Albus, Teddy, do stop fussing." Belle finally said exasperatedly, batting away their kind hands. Sirius allowed himself a small grin. "Where are Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione?"

"Right here, mate." Ron Weasley said. He looked good for 77. His red hair was now white and his shoulders were hunched slightly but he still looked good. Hermione, if possible, looked even better with her pristine white hair and aged face.

"I want to say goodbye to my husband one last time." Belle sighed and James helped her to her feet, earning a glare from his mother. "Take your families home, boys. I'm going to be okay."

She walked out to Sirius's fresh grave with Ron and Hermione. We all watched as Ron and Hermione hung back whilst Belle moved forwards. She had had him buried next to myself and Lily in Godric's Hollow where there was a spot for her when she was ready. Her eyes brushed over mine and Lily's graves and a faint smile drifted across her lips before she turned to her husband's grave.

"You bastard." She said and Sirius raised his eyebrow at her. "You knew I wanted to go first but no, you always had to beat me to the punch, didn't you? What the hell am I meant to do know, you idiot? You bloody know Potter's live a stupidly long time, except dad. What am I meant to do without you, Sirius? You've been my life for sixty years. I can't imagine spending the rest of my days without waking up besides you. I wasn't ready for you to go. Not now. We were meant to go together…jackass. I hope dad kicks your ass when you get up there with him. If not for marrying his only daughter then for leaving me alone down here. Dad? You hear me? Kick the crap out of him. And when I get up there, Sirius Black, I am going to beat you senseless. This isn't goodbye…it's a see you soon, okay? So don't you dare find someone else up there. You wait for me."

_I'll wait for you_ I heard Sirius choke next to me and I gripped his shoulder tightly. At least Lily and I had gone together.

_October 31__st__ 2092_

It was almost ironic that Belle had died on Hallowe'en. Ron had passed away only two years before, followed by Hermione a few months later, both of old age. It as only a matter of time before she passed on. 112 was a good old age to live to, especially for a girl who had never expected to live to see her 18th birthday. She had known that she was going to die soon and had left Hogwarts at the end of the last school year, passing it into the very capable hands of her son, Albus, who had been the Transfiguration teacher ever since McGonagall had passed away in 2034.

The irony was not lost on the family that surrounded her when she passed away. Lily, quite old herself now, in her eighties and with her own grandchildren, had commented on it, starting bickering between her and James. Belle had listened with a warm smile before telling them to shut up. Teddy, James, Albus, Lily, Rose, Hugo and Scorpius had been there when she had passed away. Her children. It was a nice way to go for a woman who had given so much to the magical world and had ensured that peace lasted for a long time after her death and that her world never fall into the horrors that it did during her lifetime.

When she appeared before us as a healthy, happy 20-year-old – her prime age – Sirius ran towards her and hugged her to him tightly. She started crying happily against him before proceeding to hit him, as she had promised to do some forty years before. He just kissed her and held her before Ron and Hermione claimed her in their arms, Molly was sobbing as she hugged Belle; Fred greeted her with a loud roar of happiness, having been reunited with George twenty years before; she grabbed Snape in a hug, kissing his cheek with a cheeky laugh as he muttered something about taking points from Gryffindor. She actually jumped into Dumbledore's arms, wrapping her legs around him as she hugged him excitedly, babbling about how hard it was to be a headmaster but how rewarding at the same time. Remus opened his arms for her and hugged her tightly, thanking her deeply for being the best mother possible to Teddy and then Tonks tripped over her own feet, knocking Belle and her to the ground in her rush to embrace the woman who had raised her son. Kingsley was there and so was Neville and Luna and Andromeda, with her husband Ted, Hagrid to was there and Kreacher and Dobby and even Grawp…it took a long time before she found us.

_I tried to make you proud_ she said as she stood just a few feet away from us, looking as beautiful as I remembered her.

_You couldn't have made us prouder._ I said and I opened my arms for her.

She flew into them and I held my daughter for the first time in 111 years. I felt complete again.

_The End_

What did you all think? Obviously, I made Harry Potter into a girl – Belle Potter, but did you like it? Please, review for this, as I really want to get feedback on this piece. It was the first time that I have ever written a story in first person as well as a running monologue.

_Yours humbly,_

_Kate_


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